Chunky vegetable curry

This is a delicious recipe which I will always whip up on a 'curry night'. The chunky vegetables are coated in a thick lentil sauce which is bursting full of those delicious curry flavours.  What's more, like most currys, the longer they hang around, the better they get! 

Lentils are just great. They are super cheap, taste great and count as one of your five a day!  These little guys are full of fibre and when cooked are about 27% protein, all in all helping to keep you fuller for longer. The complex carbohydrate keeps your energy levels balanced (low GI or Glycemic Index, keeping blood sugar levels balanced within the body) along with the added bonus of them containing many minerals and Vitamins that most carbohydrates don't! There are thousands of lentil varieties out there; I decided to use red lentils for this dish simply because of the way they cook down helping to thicken the sauce, trapping all of those fab flavours!

Now I have a confession to make... I did use a little helping hand from the lovely 'Mr Patak' (Curry paste manufacturer) with their 'Biryani Paste'. These jars contain tens of different spices with all of them having been infused in the sunflower oil, ready and rocking to go in your curry! They taste great and are so easy to use, but yes, cheating a little bit I know.....

Ingredients

2 tbsp Sesame Oil
1 red chilli, chopped
4 cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
3 Leeks, washed and roughly chopped
1 1/2 Cups red lentils
1/2 Litre vegetable stock
4 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2 chunks
1 cauliflower, chopped in to little florets
2 courgettes, washed and sliced into half moon shapes
1 aubergine, washed and cubed
1 apple, washed and diced into small pieces
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato purree
4 tbsp Biryani paste
2 cups natural yoghurt/ quark/ fomage frais/ greek yoghurt
Seasoning
Coriander for garnish


Directions

Prepare all of your veg and make up your vegetable stock. 
In a pan, add the sesame oil, and stir fry your chilli, garlic and leeks for about 2-3 minutes.
Add the lentils and immediately pour over your stock. Add the Biryani paste and stir until everything is combined well. Turn the heat down to low so it is gently simmering away. You don't want any lentils burning on the bottom of the pan!

After about 5 minutes, add all of your prepared veg (this includes your apple), and your can of chopped tomatoes. Stir well so everything mixes together. If you feel it needs more liquid by all means add some more but the vegetables should cook down giving off some liquid in the process. This is roughly what mine looked like after a further 10-15 minutes of simmering....

Leave to very gently simmer for half an hour or so, giving it a stir every so often. When your veggies are soft, and your lentils are cooked through (may take more or less time than half an hour!), stir in your natural yogurt, This 'creams' everything up a bit... 2 cups is a rough estimation, so do a Jamie Oliver and just 'whack it in'!

Now is the time to season and do a taste test. If you want it slightly sweeter, add some chutney; more salty, another vegetable stock cube; more curry flavour, another tbsp of curry paste; less thick, more water or yoghurt; less watery, more lentils... you get the idea!

This should be ready to serve! I simply added a sprig of Coriander to garnish and serve but below I've listed a few suggestions for accompaniments! 

Suggestions for accompaniments that go fabulously with this dish are:

Any of the famous curry condiments: banana, coconut slices, raisins, chilli flakes, chopped onion... you name it!

More starchy compliments: Chapati's, Naan breads, Poppadoms, Rice

Protein compliments: Diced chicken, grilled white fish, turkey, tofu, Quorn....

Any other curry you may be making... curry + curry = even better curry!

You guys choose, these are only a few suggestions :-)

My sister Sarah enjoying her little bowl of veggie curry! xx